Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Attached, you will find a picture of Haley with a magnificent sunflower. One day, Haley, my daughter, came home from her preschool with a paper cup full of dirt with straggly green sprig of a sunflower plant poking up about 2 inches. At chapel that the week before the director of the school had told the four year olds in my daughter’s class how to plant the seed, water it, provide sunlight and then to have faith. So, Haley brings this cup home, and I was not impressed this little plant. It was too late to plant it, I thought. You see, I plant sunflowers every year in the sunniest spot of my yard at the end of our driveway, and those were 2 feet tall, or more, already. Haley even wanted to plant it in the shadiest part of the vegetable garden in the middle of the carrots. I tried to talk her out of this plan.

She made a shallow hole and stuck it in. Not deep enough was my judgment. She watered it for the first time and it laid flat on the soil covered with mud. I wondered if she would remember to water regularly. I warned her not to be disappointed if the flower didn't make it. I was so afraid that she would be upset if this little plant didn’t survive. But, Haley said "Ms. Becky told me what to do to take care of it and have faith".

As it grew, my children reminded me of the lesson in the book, The Carrot Seed. In the story a little boy plants a tiny seed and no one in his family believed it would grow, but it did. Did she remember to water it? Sometimes. Was it in the perfect spot, with the right amount of sun? It really doesn't matter....It had a little girl who believed in it! I love that girl!

So, I was concerned about the little bit of disappointment that she would feel, and neglected to see the greater possibility.

Now, as I look at the possibilities of the for the next few months, I am reminded of words quoted by Nelson Mandela below, and I wish for each of you greater possibilities.“Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,but that we are powerful beyond measure.” Marrianne Williamsonhttp://skdesigns.com/internet/articles/quotes/williamson/our_deepest_fear/

1 comment:

DeAnne - this is wonderful! If we had the faith of children! "The Carrot Seed was a staple in our household as the kids were growing, and my husband and I still quote it to each other. Thank you, too, for the wonderful quote...

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About Me

Over the years, DeAnne has become known for her creative dishes and her original recipes have been featured in local publications and nationally in magazines, such as, Better Homes and Gardens. She is the “go-to” resource among friends and neighbors when it comes to innovative ideas from the kitchen.
While on her honeymoon 20 + years ago, she was inspired during a class at the New Orleans School of Cooking with Chef Kevin Belton and soon discovered her natural talents for cooking. After moving to South Austin in 1994, she embraced “It's About Thyme” as conspirators in bringing life and variety to her family and entertaining meals. This summer, DeAnne spent time with world renowned chefs and James Beard Award winners in their own kitchens from California to New York City and has started “Soup Night”, a life-coaching group that meets at her home monthly, inspired by one of those James Beard winners, Leah Chase.